HELMER SAEXBJORN

[Helmer Saexbjorn]

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THE WRITER
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NAME/ALIAS: Gent
AGE: Old
EXPERIENCE: LONG TIME
OTHER CHARACTERS: Titus Tiberius Lupus and Decimus Varius
CONTACT: PM

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THE CHARACTER
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NAME: Helmer Saexbjorn of The Teutones
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 AD, 9th of March - 35 years old.
GENDER: Male
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Heterosexual

CITIZENSHIP: Non Civium, Barbarus

OCCUPATION: King of the Macromanni, the Frisii, the Saxones, the Suebi, the Teutones, the Cimbrii and the Burgundiones. In Rome to discuss the border.

LIKES:
-Eating a great deal.
-Winning, without fighting.
-Talking amongst his warriors.
-Germania!
-Boar meat!
-War!
-Slaughter!
-Strategy. Yes, Helmer is a brutal and unyielding Warrior...who has many followers because he thinks things through, and wins battles.
-Revenge.
-River water.
-Open country.
-Forests.
DISLIKES::
-Losing
-People challenging his authority.
-Romans
-Gauls
-Parthians
-Britons
-Just about anyone who isn't under his rule, really.
-Fighting needles battles.
-Pointless ceremony.
-Disrespect.
-Being called a 'Barbarian'.
-The Rhine Legions.

FEARS:
-Being captured and displayed by the Romans
-Rebellion from within the Tribes
-Losing.
ASPIRATIONS:
-To utterly decimate a Roman Legion.
-To unite all the tribes of Germania
-To force Rome off the Rhine.

GENERAL PERSONALITY:
Helmer Saexbjorn is a man shaped in a different mould to the brutish, ferocious tribal Chieftains that have so often preceded him. Where they have favoured annihilation, Helmer prefers assimilation. He has a vision; a real, palpable true vision, of a world without Rome, where every man is free to do as he wills by the strength of his arm. And if they need to be forced to break their chains, well, so be it. Helmer has long ago dismissed the very notion that he is wrong. He's right, because he wins. And how does the man win? He kills. He is ruthless, efficient, and cold. Before he fights a tribe, he sends them a single warning: after that, the fire begins. Helmer's men kill cattle, they murder children, they drag women away screaming in the night, until eventually the foe gives in.

Helmer's mind is set and focused, like an arrow. Through sheer force of will, he can make men agree, rile up entire nations of people, and convince die-hards to give themselves up. His warriors love him, for Helmer fights with them often, and sleeps amongst them as a simple warrior. When they sacrifice to the Gods, Helmer is the one who cries loudest, and when they fight in the shieldwall, he is the one who roars the loudest. A fundamental mix of incredible brawn and ruthless intellect, when engaged in conversation, the man strikes one as jovial, good natured, and yet profoundly observant. It is as if he were using his blatant behaviour of crudeness and boisterous joy as a disguise for the keen strategic and political mind beneath. Let me make this clear; Helmer will do anything to unite the Germanic peoples. Hence why he is in Rome - he wishes to move East, and North, to secure and subdue the Gothes and Jutlander Tribes, both of which are powerful. To do so, he needs to know Rome won't burn his lands behind his back.

Of course, he's a massively arrogant and prickly man, who believes himself both entitled to the rulership of every tribe in the Black Forests of Europe and perfect for the job of bringing them together. This is his weakness, as even implying that he shouldn't try to conquer will throw him into a rage, and he is obsessed with the Rhine. He believes it a chain around his people's throat, and hopes to one day rip it away. But for now, he is content to keep it secured. Why? Because he truly loves his people. The leaders of conquered tribes are executed, but their warriors and womenfolk treated well, and the new leaders, often men of the tribe who first bowed to Helmer, are treated well.

One thing that must be recognised is that, by modern standards, Helmar Saexbjorn is a truly horrible person. He has committed genocide, rape, thievery of entire fiefdoms, and murdered children with his bare hands. He is racist, believing that only the strong have any right to prosperity, but not terribly sexist - he accepts that women are men's equals, but that they have a place in society. Why? Try having thirteen warrior women try to cut your guts out and only be prevented by a thousand of your finest men, then tell me women aren't 'equal'. Still, getting in his way will see him try to massacre you, and he is GOOD at it. Here is a man who has united tribes who have no real affinity for one another, and keeps them together because, firstly, he is always on 'the march' and, secondly, they love him. Helmer rewards good warriors and initiative, making him well-loved by his generals.

And Helmer Saexbjorn does not run.

Historically, a figure like this never existed. But similar figures united tribes in Mongolia, South Africa, Britain and Ireland. Perhaps a figure in Germania might have done wonders...

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APPEARANCE
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CELEBRITY CLAIM: Sean Bean
HAIR: Light brown
EYES: Brown
BUILD: Very, very muscular.
HEIGHT: Six feet three inches.
STYLE OF DRESS: His homeland is very bloody cold, so Helmer tends to wear furs, leather jerkins, thick breeches, even thicker boots, but also chainmail and scaled armour, and he wields a savage longsword on one hip. When in formal company, i.e. Roman, he wears a thick fur and a silk tunic, with sandals.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:
There is a reason other Germans, usually a fearless race, are afraid of meeting Helmer in a fight. He is one of the largest men of the tribes, standing at a colossal, and EXCEPTIONALLY RARE, six feet three inches, and with a great deal of muscle to back it up. Indeed, some men openly wonder if he is not a giant, a son of Tiwaz himself, come to life. With his shoulder length brown hair, his easy smile and happy demeanour, he can sometimes be mistaken for a gentle giant, or a simpleton freak. Of course, look below the surface, and there is strong evidence that Helmer has been fighting his entire life. His right ear is missing, completely, and his right palm is deeply scarred, not to mention of the dozens of marks on his forearms and fists.

But there is something about him. It may be the way he looks at his foes out of the corner of his eye. It might be the strange tattoos behind his left ear, and along his knuckles. That something is somehow very coy, very abrupt, as if you've suddenly caught him silent and motionless. Examining the way he moves and talks when discussing politics makes for an abrupt change. His boisterous manner evaporates, and it suddenly becomes obvious that this man has more to him than meets the eye.

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FAMILY & HISTORY
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Any characters that are available as adoptables, please post within the ADOPTABLE board. Also be sure to follow the guidelines for Roman names! Refer to the linked thread above.

PARENTS:
--Father - Adalwin of The Teutones, 49, Deceased
--Mother - Elvira of the Cimbrii, 61, Alive
SIBLINGS:
- Irma, 34, Alive, Sister
- Teutobod, 31, Alive, Brother
- Odilia, 28, Alive, Sister
- Fridumar, 28, Deceased, Brother
- Hengist, 23, Alive, Brother
- Reinhilda, 19, Deceased, Sister
SPOUSE(S): Hera of Greece, 31, Deceased, First Wife
Romitja of the Teutones, 32, Alive, Second Wife
Aaltje of the Macromanni, 29, Alive, Third Wife
CHILDREN:
- Two Sons and a Daughter by his first Wife (between eleven and nineteen years of age)
- Two Daughters by Romitja (between nine and one year of age)
- A son by Aaltje (between five and one year of age)
OTHER RELATIONS:
- Archembald of the Saxones, 49, Brother-in-Law; married to Odila.
- Gertrud of the Frisii, 20, Sister-in-Law; married to Teutobod.


BIOGRAPHY:
In just seven years, Helmer Saexbjorn has set Magna Germania on fire. He has torched out the Chatti, massacred the Langobardi, and united all others. And all this from a young boy considered too weak to live in his homeland...

For his father was a bear of a man, though a leader of a tribe once great that had been decimated by the Romans, whom valued strength and vigour above all else. When his first son was born at the end of winter, and revealed to be a sickly, coughing, frail thing. But Adalwin of the Teutones loved him dearly, all the same, and wrapped him up tightly against the winter winds. But the next few years drew harsher winters, and more daring raids from the Chatti tribe. Bracing himself, the four year old Helmer, or Helm as he was called, was sent away to live with an Equite Family in Mantua. This Equite Family were descended from former veterans of Augustus, and they had started trade with the Teutones long before. They enjoyed raising their little bear cub; even then, Helm had a natural scrapping instinct, despite his diminutive size. The latter would change; the former would not. His foster family were good to him, his older 'brothers' often taking him around town on errands and encouraging him to ride horses. Naturally quick to make friends, Helm was treated very similarly to any small child, and came to love Mantua.

He spent five years in Mantua, and, as recounted to his eldest son, it was the happiest time in his life. Learning of the Roman Empire, how they fought, how vast their lands were, how many people owed them tribute - it all inspired Helm to one day rule such a kingdom. Of course, by this time, growth spurts had started to kick in. He was taller, by far, than any other boy his age, and ate ravenously. His foster family encouraged him to exercise with them, and it quickly became obvious that their little German would be very strong. But, in 33AD, Adalwin finally called his firstborn home.

It was a shock. Helm went from being the cared-for, but never restrained, guest of a Roman family, to the son of a Germanic Chieftain. His father commented proudly on his height, but Helmer had little grasp of his mother tongue. It took the young man a year to regain a firm grasp of it, but by this time, he was already falling in love with his own people. Their mad revelry, their ancient ways of religious dedication, their subtle and varied ways of living from the land. For a time, he felt distant, outcast, but his hearty nature and natural strength, both of body and character, eventually won him friends. Indeed, many friends. As Helmer grew into adulthood, he took up sword and shield, and killed his first man in the line; a Frisii raider.

When Helmer was sixteen, his father took him and his younger brothers South, to Greece, where they stayed with their Uncle - a man who had settled in Athens and performed as a Gladiator. One of his fellow Gladiators was a young woman called Hera, more than six years his elder, owned by the Magistrate. Besotted, Helmer placed on roman garb and approached him as a Peregrinni, hoping to settle in Rome and requiring a good slave. Reluctant to let the girl go, the Magistrate agreed to an inflated price. Hera, when she discovered Helmer had bought her, punched him square in the jaw, suspicious that he had few wishes beyond the carnal. Being a young man, however, Helmer begged her to marry him. Out of practicality, she did.

Adalwin, upon discovering this, beat his son severely. He had just sacrificed potential alliances through Germania for a slave girl, beautiful though she was. But the aging man came to terms with it, and kept Helmer as his heir. Returning to their homeland, Helmer grew tall and strong, and his wife came to love him....mainly because it is difficult not to love a man who spoils you rotten, lets you go where you wish, and includes you in his affairs, so long as you do not love another man. Her tanned skin and raven hair contrasted with the bright haired people around her, but her savage skill in battle earned her great respect. Before her eyes, she saw her Husband change from a young man into a brutal and skilled warrior. Constant skirmishes and careful mentoring from his father and elder men of the tribe made sure that when he grew into his full height, a massive man, he had the brains to lead the tribe. He had two daughters and a hearty son by Hera, and she in turn became noted as one of the most powerful and cunning women in all the Germanic tribes through the influence over her Husband. It is not an exaggeration to say they loved one another. Many times, Helmer was reprimanded for frolicking in the forest with his Wife, or picking herbs with her, or telling her too much of tribe business. Whenever there was a feast, Hera would storm in and sit on his lap, daring anyone to protest, and Helmer would continue on as if nothing had occurred. They were happy together, if grudgingly so.

Then Adalwin died of a wasting illness. While the men were away, burning his body, the Chatti attacked. Hera hid her children away, before slitting her throat to avoid capture. She left a prized possession which she had kept in case of such a thing for her Husband - a small stone with the rune for 'love'.

When Helmer tells his stories, around a great roaring fire or in a colossal hall with thousands listening, this is always the part where he falls silent. His brow furrows. His fists tighten. He looks across the room with a scowl on his face, before calmly explaining that this was the day that he became a King. Not when he slaughtered the Chatti, or when he united the Saxones and Cimbrii. It was when he decided that enough was enough.
The men returned. Many mourned. Helmer found his children, and burned his Wife's body. He slipped his wife's stone into his pocket, took his brothers and finest warriors, and went to battle.

His first move was to acquire temporary alliance with the Saxones, the Frisii and the Macromanni. This he did by assaulting small groups of Chatti, adorning themselves in mimicry of their hated enemies, and then attacking these tribes as if they were the Chatti themselves. A few days later, long enough for the Teutones to hear of it, Helmer would appear before them and propose a war against the Chatti.

As the majority of the four clans gathered their warriors, Helmer and his best men waged horrific war against their foes. It was a unique war, even for the Germans, in that the Teutones never gathered. They stayed in their warbands, and avoided the warriors of the Chatti, and instead attacked their homes and women. They committed horrific atrocities while the Macromanni and the Frisii waged the standard mixture of raiding followed by pitched battles, and lost; the Chatti pounced on them with nine thousand warriors to their fifteen, and used surprise and an impenetrable shieldwall to rout their foes. But just as the Chatti looked to break and pursue their foes, the Teutones under Helmer attacked. Riding horses and setting the forest alight, the Teutones forced the Chatti into small pockets, which were slowly picked off. This was how Rome had often fought; divide and conquer. Still, the few thousand Teutone Horsemen would have lost had the Macromanni and Frisii not turned and joined, breaking the Chatti, and winning the Battle of Erberg's Glade, named for the Macromanni Chieftain.

Every warrior of the Chatti was murdered, and their children and women sold into slavery or incorporated into the tribes. Surprisingly, small tribes were flocking to join Helmer, for with his powerful voice and meritocratic rule, he attracted young glory seekers. He turned towards the Langobardi, and subjugated them primarily through the same, brutal, dishonourable warfare he'd used against the Chatti; raiding, cutting supplies, isolating warbands, then smashing them at a moment of his choosing.

Next, Helmer went north, to speak with his people's old ally, the Cimbrii. These mighty men recognised Helmer as a man on the rise, but refused to follow him unless he settled their dispute with the large and powerful Saxones. Through careful consideration, Helmer realised that the two clans felt much pressure from their young warriors, who were spoiling for a fight. In a great discussion at his Great Hall, Helmer wed many young warriors of the tribes to young women of the other, on the condition that the Tribes would now be given a war to fight. During this time, Helmer married Romitja, a fiery woman and sister to his most skilled General, to secure the quickly-growing Teutones and their loyalty. When the fighting season of 52 came around, the Macromannic, the Frisii, the Saxones, the Teutones, the Langobardi and the Cimbrii fell upon the massive Suebi tribe, but this time they sought to conquer, not subjugate. Women were taken, land passed out to brave and skilled warleaders, and by late 53, the Suebi bent the knee to Helmer. They had been weakened by Rome, and subdued by the Teutones.

It was at this time that the Macromanni came to fear Helmer's ever-expanding Teutones tribes. After all; where would they go once the forests of Germania had been conquered? The Macromanni enlisted their allies, the Frisii, and called their warbands, to try and depose King Helmer. Gathering his own men and the freshly-incorporated armies of the Suebi, the two sides met at the northern most edge of the Danube. There, they parleyed. Using his charm and raw ferocity, Helmer was very succesful, at first, but the Kings of the Macromanni and Frisii were resilient in their fear. To assuage these doubts, Helmer married Aaltje, a Princess of the Macromanni.
Romitje was not best pleased.

Now, before them, stood their greatest challenge. For, while the Western Germanic Tribes had been united under Helmer's iron fist and silver tongue, the Burgundiones united the Eastern Tribes with fear. Of course, they were correct. In the spring 54 AD, Helmer and thirty thousand warriors crossed into Burgundione territory.

The war lasted four, brutal years. Over eighteen thousand men were killed on both sides, and half as many women and children. It ended when Helmer challenged King Alaric to single combat. King Alaric was a broad, mountain of a man, but Helmer was taller, younger, faster. His blood stained the circle in which they duelled, and King Helmer was called 'Saexbjorn' - The Sword Bear.

That was a year ago. It took Helmer a year to brutally control the Eastern Germanic Tribes; now he looks to the Gothes and Sarmatians...but first, he must secure the border with Rome. Hence, his visit to the Eternal City.


TIMELINE:
YEAR 24 AD -- Born.
YEAR 28 AD -- Sent to live in Rome.
YEAR 33 AD -- Returns.
YEAR 40 AD -- Marries Hera.
YEAR 49 AD -- Hera murdered; Chatti War begins.
YEAR 51 AD -- Chatti defeated; Marries Romitja.
YEAR 52 AD -- Suebi attacked.
YEAR 53 AD -- Suebi defeated; Helmer marries Aaltje.
YEAR 54 AD -- Burgundiones-Teutone War begins.
YEAR 58 AD -- Burgundiones-Teutone War ends.
YEAR 59 AD -- Burgundiones pacified.

OTHER: Anything you'd like to add to your application?

[Lucilla Augusta]

Accepted, unless Chris finds something wrong.

Lovely work, Mr Genticus!